» Zardari says he's ready to take Nawaz along, but without bowing to pressure tactics

Zardari says he's ready to take Nawaz along, but without bowing to pressure tactics

International

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Published: Friday, August 1, 2008, 13:33 [IST]

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Islamabad, Aug 1 : A couple of days after senior PML-N leader and former premier Nawaz Sharif said that he will be soon holding "decisive talks" with PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari over the judges' restoration issue, the latter has said that he would every possible effort to continue the alliance with Nawaz, but "without bowing to any pressure tactics".

"We shall try to continue this partnership and take along the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) despite problems at the centre and Punjab, but without budging to any pressure tactics," the Daily Times quoted Zardari as saying yesterday during a luncheon hosted for federal ministers to discuss important issues ahead of the prime minister's return from the US.

Sources said the current political situation, future of the coalition with the PML-N and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) notification fiasco were discussed at the luncheon meeting.

"The ministers briefed Zardari about the developments taking place in the last four-five days like the re-launching of a military operation in Swat and PML-N's hardened stance over the judges' reinstatement, with special focus on the current national political scenario," the paper quoted sources privy to the meeting as saying.

The meeting also discussed the issuance of a notification bringing the ISI under the Interior Ministry's control and its subsequent withdrawal and decided to bring those responsible for the 'blunder' to book.

Qamaruz Zaman Qaira, Farooq H Naik, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Syed Naveed Qamar, Najmuddin Khan and Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed attended the meeting. The sources said that the ministers also briefed Zardari on the performance and plans of the respective ministries.